Leadership Assumptions, Challenges, and Outcomes

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Dear Student Leader,

Ask yourself, "What am I learning?" Perhaps this week you learned about the importance of filing your income taxes early.

With this week’s US tax filing deadline, the scramble to get your financial documents sent to the IRS can lead to stress. Adopting a better time management system might be a good look, to help with staying ahead of deadlines.

It’s important to invest in resources that help you to develop your leadership knowledge and skills. Books, courses, and coaching services offer benefits that can help you become a more effective leader.

A month ago, I received a request from a colleague in South Africa. We met at a conference in Switzerland in 2024. He asked about my interests in contributing to a course designed by his team of professional development experts.

The curriculum emphasized critical thinking and applied knowledge for executive, educational, and non-profit/NGO leaders.

Without hesitation, I agreed to help. I went with an instinctual feeling about the opportunity to contribute to a course with roots in Africa and branches throughout the diaspora.

My colleague, the leader of The Foundation for Professional Development, didn’t try to persuade me with compensation. As a pilot leadership program, it wasn’t yet generating revenue. Instead of money, he offered me access to the modules.

The opportunity to learn, develop as a leader, and teach students provided enough incentive. After accepting the exchange of services, I began working on a module description.

From experience and research in education, non-profits, and businesses, I developed the following description for the module, Leadership Assumptions, Challenges, and Outcomes.

In this dynamic, interactive workshop, Dr. Vernon Lindsay will lead a discussion on how senior leaders' biases influence organizational cultures and outcomes. Drawing on his 20 years of leadership experience in education, business, martial arts, and non-profit organizations in the United States and abroad, he will share memorable stories and practical advice for leaders across diverse fields. Philosophically, it draws from the Ma’at principles of truth, justice, harmony, balance, order, propriety, and reciprocity. In practice, the discussion will bridge the work of Daniel Kahneman, David L. Horne, bell hooks, and others to explain the importance of culturally responsive knowledge and critical thinking skills in shaping leadership strategies.

The following learning objectives guided the content covered during the session:

Define culturally responsive leadership.

Analyze common leadership shortcomings.

Assess leadership strategies aligned with individual and organizational growth.

When I gave the talk, I didn’t discuss income taxes or other accounting tasks that sometimes fall on leaders' shoulders. I shared perspectives on leadership biases and culturally responsive strategies that value people, processes, and outcomes. Students in South Africa, England, and the United States attended the synchronous lecture via Microsoft Teams.

We recorded the session and placed it inside the leadership course.

Leaders learn. Formal training resources can enhance your abilities to perform and guide a team toward phenomenal products and services.

Explore Leadership Assumptions, Challenges, and Outcomes and other modules here. Enroll with the code AMP22026 or forward it to someone in your circle who might be interested in investing in a valuable learning resource.

If this course is not for you at this time, find another option that helps you improve your leadership skills and expand your knowledge.